Okay, so I might be able to explain this at least in part. When looking up one of her cryptic references made in another post, I found a threat Giianzha posted on GameFAQs (of all places) where she went into pretty deep detail.
I can’t hope to post all of it but elements of the story include the belief that a supposed cross-promotional deal between MTG and a cell phone provider ended up using her and several people that she knows from a church in a program, assigning each of them code names from video games (which apparently includes Yawgmoth and Wonder Woman?) and that they are trying to develop AIs from their actions (or something of that sort) for use in the card game(?).
She has reported believing that images from several cards (esp in Modern Horizons 2) are based on pictures of the church and of people in the “program”. While she has insinuated being a “consultant” for WotC in the past and having advance knowledge of things, I am guessing that this belief that the people around her are being used as cards is related to this post.
Apologies if I misinterpreted anything.
While I leave others to make their own conclusion, I don’t think Giianzha is trolling at this point. Reading stuff like this makes me more sad than frustrated and I for one take back the words that I’ve spoken in frustration before. I hope that she has a support system that she is able to talk to and I will not be responding with frustration when she posts her truth moving forward.
On the one hand, this does slot nicely into a “package” of cards that are fairly easy to slip into mono-white decks. path to exile, winds of abandon, oath of lieges, ghost quarter, and field of Ruin can all proactively trigger this card… and all five of those cards can also potentially get you a treasure out of smuggler’s share… and all of them except field could potentially put you behind on lands to benefit from effects like land tax or weathered wayfarer (the latter of which can find nonbasic lands like lotus field to make sure you stay behind on land count). That is neat.
Also, I acknowledge that this card’s reactive “sweet spot” (tables where people have the money to play fetches but are casual enough that a normal tutor might not signal an immediate infinite combo) likely exists out there. Probably not all that common but it exists.
If this card is relying on fetches and mana ramp like nature’a lore and farseek, I actually do think that this card will often end up drawing at least 2 cards a good deal of the time, which I think is enough to justify this. I do think that this card would be incredibly frustrating to use when compared to a similar hatebear like containment priest as 1) players are more likely to burn through their unexciting mana search cards in turn 1-2, meaning that you’ll be fretting over missing card advantage opportunities and worrying if you might not see more (whereas you probably won’t really benefit from containment priest until you reach the point in the game when you can cast it) and 2) this card won’t feel effective against meaningful tutors most of the time (whereas we are used to other hate bears like containment priest actively stopping someone when they are making their move to try winning the game).
Mirror of Lifetrapping is surprisingly interesting anti-commander deck, though it's kind of sneaky.
When someone casts their (creature) commander and it enters the battlefield, they have to choose whether A) they return it back to the command zone from exile (kind of pointless) or B) they let it get exiled with the promise of returning later... but they may lose their commander permanently if the mirror is destroyed (really dangerous).
1) Can you "take the initiative" to enter older dungeons, from the last D&D set?
2) Can the reverse happen? Can cards that have you "venture into the dungeon" grant you passage to the Dungeon cards from the last D&D set?
Both of these questions can be answered as thus.
If you are not already in a dungeon, Taking the Initiative can only bring you into undercity and venturing into the dungeon cannot bring you into the undercity. If you are already in a dungeon, however, taking the initiative can help you venture through a non-undercity dungeon if you are already in it from venturing. Likewise, venture can move you through the undercity if you are already in it from taking the initiative.
I guess that the question worth asking for this card is if there are decks with high MV commanders that can regularly reach the point of generating 8 mana but that don't (often) produce 15+ mana per turn.
This card promotes the use of high MV commanders, which often encourages the use of intense ramp and mana doubling. If you regularly reach the point where casting spells for 20 mana isn't a problem, you might as well use Genesis Wave. If you run such a deck where your mana flow tends to stabilize around 8-10, though, I would very much appreciate the effective 7 mana discount on casting this spell for Ghalta or Thrasta.
Looks good in the 99 for the Jeskai Activated Ability commander (as it can tap to use its ability, flicker untapped, and then use its ability again as it has haste).
Mixing this with Raised by Giants sounds interesting. You can use the mana from this card to cast it the following turn, giving you a 10/10 vigilance who can add 10 mana.
The way that I see this card:
1. If your deck can effectively curve out and you will regularly have a second creature to give pseudo-vigilance to when this drops down (also meaning a second blocker if the enemy has kill), you are in a good spot.
2. If you have blink, this is also good (this and ephemerate is a 5/5 vigilance for 4 that trades a card in your hand for a land and that drains 5 and draws a card next turn).
3. If small evasive creatures are plentiful in your cube, the usefulness of this type of effect plummets much faster than the power of monarch effects.
Wulfgar, Jolene, and Isshin all make this potentially mana-positive on the turn you play this (assuming you play it after the commander). Partners also play really well with this and I can imagine seeing low curve decks with Rograkh using this, though the potential ability to pay 2 mana and generate 4 treasures that turn may even let this card crack certain cEDH lists.
Cheap commanders like Zurgo Bellstriker and Ragavan allow this card to be mana neutral even if you play this card on curve and this card likely has a place in nearly all such decks.
I know that some people are going to see a treasure token and instantly have their mind go to Korvold but I'm not actually sure if this is good enough to crack the tighter korvold lists I've seen
I can’t hope to post all of it but elements of the story include the belief that a supposed cross-promotional deal between MTG and a cell phone provider ended up using her and several people that she knows from a church in a program, assigning each of them code names from video games (which apparently includes Yawgmoth and Wonder Woman?) and that they are trying to develop AIs from their actions (or something of that sort) for use in the card game(?).
She has reported believing that images from several cards (esp in Modern Horizons 2) are based on pictures of the church and of people in the “program”. While she has insinuated being a “consultant” for WotC in the past and having advance knowledge of things, I am guessing that this belief that the people around her are being used as cards is related to this post.
Apologies if I misinterpreted anything.
While I leave others to make their own conclusion, I don’t think Giianzha is trolling at this point. Reading stuff like this makes me more sad than frustrated and I for one take back the words that I’ve spoken in frustration before. I hope that she has a support system that she is able to talk to and I will not be responding with frustration when she posts her truth moving forward.
On the one hand, this does slot nicely into a “package” of cards that are fairly easy to slip into mono-white decks. path to exile, winds of abandon, oath of lieges, ghost quarter, and field of Ruin can all proactively trigger this card… and all five of those cards can also potentially get you a treasure out of smuggler’s share… and all of them except field could potentially put you behind on lands to benefit from effects like land tax or weathered wayfarer (the latter of which can find nonbasic lands like lotus field to make sure you stay behind on land count). That is neat.
Also, I acknowledge that this card’s reactive “sweet spot” (tables where people have the money to play fetches but are casual enough that a normal tutor might not signal an immediate infinite combo) likely exists out there. Probably not all that common but it exists.
If this card is relying on fetches and mana ramp like nature’a lore and farseek, I actually do think that this card will often end up drawing at least 2 cards a good deal of the time, which I think is enough to justify this. I do think that this card would be incredibly frustrating to use when compared to a similar hatebear like containment priest as 1) players are more likely to burn through their unexciting mana search cards in turn 1-2, meaning that you’ll be fretting over missing card advantage opportunities and worrying if you might not see more (whereas you probably won’t really benefit from containment priest until you reach the point in the game when you can cast it) and 2) this card won’t feel effective against meaningful tutors most of the time (whereas we are used to other hate bears like containment priest actively stopping someone when they are making their move to try winning the game).
When someone casts their (creature) commander and it enters the battlefield, they have to choose whether A) they return it back to the command zone from exile (kind of pointless) or B) they let it get exiled with the promise of returning later... but they may lose their commander permanently if the mirror is destroyed (really dangerous).
Both of these questions can be answered as thus.
If you are not already in a dungeon, Taking the Initiative can only bring you into undercity and venturing into the dungeon cannot bring you into the undercity. If you are already in a dungeon, however, taking the initiative can help you venture through a non-undercity dungeon if you are already in it from venturing. Likewise, venture can move you through the undercity if you are already in it from taking the initiative.
There are only 27 cards that choose a background. 4 uncommons per color, 1 rare per color, and two mythics (this and Volo).
Just for the record.
I mean, those were the changeling colors in Kaldheim…
This card promotes the use of high MV commanders, which often encourages the use of intense ramp and mana doubling. If you regularly reach the point where casting spells for 20 mana isn't a problem, you might as well use Genesis Wave. If you run such a deck where your mana flow tends to stabilize around 8-10, though, I would very much appreciate the effective 7 mana discount on casting this spell for Ghalta or Thrasta.
1. If your deck can effectively curve out and you will regularly have a second creature to give pseudo-vigilance to when this drops down (also meaning a second blocker if the enemy has kill), you are in a good spot.
2. If you have blink, this is also good (this and ephemerate is a 5/5 vigilance for 4 that trades a card in your hand for a land and that drains 5 and draws a card next turn).
3. If small evasive creatures are plentiful in your cube, the usefulness of this type of effect plummets much faster than the power of monarch effects.
Wulfgar, Jolene, and Isshin all make this potentially mana-positive on the turn you play this (assuming you play it after the commander). Partners also play really well with this and I can imagine seeing low curve decks with Rograkh using this, though the potential ability to pay 2 mana and generate 4 treasures that turn may even let this card crack certain cEDH lists.
Cheap commanders like Zurgo Bellstriker and Ragavan allow this card to be mana neutral even if you play this card on curve and this card likely has a place in nearly all such decks.
I know that some people are going to see a treasure token and instantly have their mind go to Korvold but I'm not actually sure if this is good enough to crack the tighter korvold lists I've seen
Pest has been a creature type since Mirrodin, Buster.
Delayed Fireball Blast
Sorcery
Delayed fireball blast deals X plus 2 damage to any target.
Suspend X -